Every Women’s Marathon #1, Marathon #103

This marathon wasn’t even on my radar when I was planning my fall race calendar last year. I already had a full schedule of fall races, but everything changed when Fernanda gently persuaded me to join her while we were celebrating her birthday. Next thing I knew, I was booking flights and registering for the race. At the time, it seemed like a perfect girls’ getaway.

Fast forward to 2024. My fall schedule was already packed with Chicago, Hartford, Marine Corps, New York City, and a half marathon I was running with my son. As race weekend approached, I could feel the fatigue in my legs, but I reminded myself how grateful I was to be injury-free.

The Flight

We flew out on Thursday morning. The first leg of the flight was a bit bumpy, and my fear of flying kicked in as the plane shook. I could feel my knees knocking, but Fernanda, noticing my anxiety, grabbed my hand. On the next leg, we experienced more turbulence, and this time she wrapped her arms around me until the shaking stopped. She’s truly a great friend. When we finally landed in Savannah, we were greeted by pleasantly warm temperatures as we stepped out of the airport and waited for our Uber.

The Hotel

We stayed at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront, unpacked, and relaxed before heading out to explore the city. They seemed very unprepared for this marathon and I had made a complaint after I returned.  Hopefully by next year they will be more accomodating.

The Expo

The next morning, we met for a shakeout run with Fleet Feet. Danielle, Omayra, Jess, Fernanda, and I headed to the expo, which was within walking distance from our hotel. The location was great, and it was close to the start line too. The shakeout run was an interesting experience. We were met by a group of protestors from PETA, who were voicing their opposition to our sponsor, Milk. At first, I thought they were cheering for us, but soon realized their signs read, “The Milk Marathon Runs on Cruelty.”

After the shakeout run, we waited about 40 minutes to get inside the expo and pick up our bibs. We then went downstairs to collect our race swag, which included a Women’s Marathon tote bag, a SPY belt, some socks, and medicated sports tape. The swag was great, but the real treat came next — our long-sleeve shirts from Rabbit. The expo was jam-packed with women, and the line to check out was total chaos. It wasn’t so much a line as it was a conga of women with no direction. I managed to pick up a hat and escape the madness.

As I walked through the expo, I spotted a wall of name tags, each one representing different milestones: pink for a first marathon, green for five, and up to rainbow colors for 60+ marathons. I proudly found my name with the rainbow tag and put it on.

We took a ferry taxi to dinner and then headed back to the hotel to rest up for race day.

Race Day

Race morning was so easy to navigate. It wasn’t as well-organized as some other marathons, like Hartford, with regard to signage, but we figured out where gear check was, used the port-o-lets, and made our way to the start corrals. Fernanda and I lost the others by the time we got to our corral, but the race started, and we were off, smiling and laughing. Our first bridge had female bikers on top, revving their engines, which was a fun surprise.

After the bridge, we headed into the neighborhoods, where I met Chelly, who had run a few Rock ‘n’ Roll marathons in Savannah. We chatted for quite a while, and eventually caught up to the 4:00 pace group. The pacers were amazing, handing out friendship bracelets, offering encouragement, and keeping a steady pace. Chelly pointed out several landmarks along the way, including Pinkie Masters Bar, Savannah’s iconic dive bar where Jimmy Carter used to hang out. I didn’t retain all the details since I was focused on running, but it was great to hear about the city.

One of my favorite parts of the course was running through Savannah University and looping the track while a marching band played for us. It was epic.

The Final Miles

By mile 21, the sun was getting stronger, and I started to slow my pace. I was taking salt to avoid cramping and being cautious in the unshaded areas. The hardest part came when we ran on the Truman Parkway, a highway stretch under full sun, with a gradual climb for about 1.5 miles. It felt like an eternity. At mile 24, we had a few out-and-backs through small neighborhoods, which made the final stretch seem never-ending. But when we hit the main road, crowd support kicked in, and that’s when Kim started texting me words of encouragement. It was just what I needed to keep moving.

As I neared the finish line, the crowds grew thicker, and I picked up the pace. I couldn’t stop smiling as I approached the finish and crossed the line with a time of 3:59:42. Considering I was running on tired legs, I was really pleased with my performance.

Post-Race Recovery

After grabbing my gear bag, I headed to the expo area, where I could choose between Normatec boots or a stretching session. I opted for the stretch, and it worked wonders. I felt pretty good afterward and went back to the hotel to shower. Later, I met up with the girls to enjoy a performance by Natasha Bedingfield, who rocked the stage.

Would I Run This Again?

Absolutely! The camaraderie and support from so many women made this race unforgettable. The sense of community was so powerful. Though there were a few hiccups with the expo setup, the good truly outweighed the bad, and I would definitely run this marathon again.